Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) for the Early Diagnosis of Dementia Across a Variety of Healthcare Settings

Introduction: To develop appropriate strategies for early diagnosis and intervention of cognitive impairment, the identification of minimally invasive and cost-effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cognitive impairment is crucial and desirable. Therefore, the CHina registry study on cOgnitive imPairment in the Elderly (HOPE) study is designed to investigate the natural course of cognitive decline and explore the clinical, imaging, and biochemical markers for the detection and diagnosis of cognitive impairment on its earliest stage.Methods: Approximately 5,000 Chinese elderly aged more than 50 years were recruited from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China by the year 2024. All subjects were invited to complete the clinical assessment, neuropsychological assessment, the biological samples collection (blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)], magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, and optional amyloid and tau PET. The follow-up survey was conducted every 1 year to repeat these assessments for 20 years. To better clarify the relationship between potential risk factors and endpoint events [changes in cognitive score or incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or dementia], appropriate statistical methods were used to analyze the data, including but not limited to, such as linear mixed-effect model, competing risk model, or the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model.Significance: The CHina registry study on cOgnitive imPairment in the Elderly study is designed to explore the longitudinal changes in characteristics of participants with cognitive decline and to identify potential plasma and imaging biomarkers with cost-benefit and scalability advantages. The results will enable broader clinical access and efficient population screening and then improve the development of treatment and the quality of life for cognitive impairment at the early stage.Trial registration number: NCT04360200.

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Memory complaints at primary care in a middle-income country: clinical and neuropsychological characterization

Dementia & Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1590/1980-57642021dn15-010009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 88-97

Author(s):

Marcos Leandro Pereira ◽

Thiago Henrique Ferreira de Vasconcelos ◽

Amanda Aparecida Rocha de Oliveira ◽

Sarah Bárbara Campagnolo ◽

Sarah de Oliveira Figueiredo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Decline ◽

Functional Assessment ◽

The Elderly ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Middle Income ◽

Clock Drawing Test ◽

Memory Complaints ◽

Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽

With Memory

ABSTRACT. There are different causes of memory complaints in the elderly, such as subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Objective: 1) To characterize individuals with memory complaints in a mid-sized city in Brazil, through clinical, cognitive and functional assessment; 2) to compare SCD individuals with MCI and dementia patients in terms of clinical and cognitive variables. Methods: We consecutively included individuals aged ≥50 years, with memory complaints (spontaneous or inquired). Subjects who scored ≥25 on the Memory Complaint Questionnaire or who had spontaneous memory complaints were selected. Participants underwent a semi-structured interview, the Mini-Mental State Examination, Figure Memory Test for visual episodic memory, Clock Drawing Test, Category Fluency (Animals), Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and functional assessment. Individuals were classified as SCD, MCI or dementia. We did not include individuals with previous diagnosis of dementia. Results: The final sample consisted of 91 subjects (73.6% women; mean age 67.6±9.8 years): 14.3% had spontaneous complaints and 85.7% had inquired complaints. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (69.2%), diabetes (36.3%), and dyslipidemia (24.2%). Low levels of vitamin B12 and hypothyroidism were found in 26.4 and 16.5%, respectively. Regarding cognitive diagnosis, 16.5% of the sample were classified as SCD, 49.4% as MCI and 34.1% as dementia. MCI and dementia were identified in five (38.5%) and seven (53.4%) patients with spontaneous complaint, respectively. Conclusions: MCI and dementia are frequently underdiagnosed. Potential reversible causes of cognitive decline are common. The diagnosis of dementia is highly frequent among individuals with spontaneous memory complaints.

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